Brush cleaning device



April 21, 1964 T. C OLAIANNI 3,129,451

BRUSH CLEANING DEVICE Filed Dec. 4, 1962 1 I8 I8 34 I6 A 1 2/ o 1 23 22I7 I IIHIII lli l I2 ma INVENTOR THOMAS COLAIANNI BY Wgh K ATTbRNEY.

United States Patent Ofiice 3,129,451 Patented Apr. 21, 1964 3,129,451BRUSH CLEANING DEVICE Thomas Coiaianni, 8832 29th Ave., Brooklyn 14,N.Y. Filed Dec. 4, 1962, Ser. No. 242,265 Claims. (Cl. 15-303) Thepresent invention relates to a brush cleaning device, in general, and tosuch device, which permits not only cleaning, but also sterilization ofa plurality of brushes independently or simultaneously, in particular.

It is well known that comb cleaning devices have been known for anappreciable time, yet hair brushes were usually cleaned and disinfectedor sterilized in beauty parlors as a rule manually, in spite of the factthat such cleaning is a time-consuming procedure.

It is, therefore, one object of the present 1nvent1on to rovide a brushcleaning device, which comprises means for supporting a plurality ofhair brushes and wherein a rotary brush is coordinated to each of thehair brushes to be cleaned. Furthermore means are provided to subjectthe rotary brushes to a preferably substantially vertical reciprocatingmovement along the hair brushes, which cleans each of the coordinatedbrushes during such striking reciprocating movement.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a brushcleaning device, in which a plurality of hair brushes is disposed formechanical cleaning by means of rotary brushes and wherein the hairbrushes are simultaneous-ly subjected to a spray of steam, in order tobring about sterilization of the hair brushes during their mechanicalcleaning.

With these and other objects in view, which will become apparent in thefollowing detailed description, the present invention will be clearlyunderstod in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an exploded perspective view of the brush cleaning device;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary end view of the device; and

FIG. 3 is a section along the lines 33 of FIG. 1.

Referring now to the drawing, it will readily be ascertained, that thebrush cleaning device comprises a base 1, in which an electric heatingbody 2 is inserted and supported, the electric heating body beingequipped with feeding cables 2'.

A boiler 3 filled with Water is disposed on top to the heating body 2,the water in the boiler 3 being brought to a boiling point by means ofthe electric heating body 2.

The boiler 3 is preferably an elongated body having a bottom wall, sidewalls and a top wall 4, and a plurality of nozzles 5 project upwardlyfrom the latter and through which nozzles 5 steam produced in the boiler3 escapes in upward direction. A casing 6 is mounted on top of theboiler 3, which casing 6 has an open bottom and an open top, yet isequipped with lateral slots 7, preferably in two oppositely disposedside walls 8 of the casing 6.

A platform 9 is disposed at the bottom of the casing 6, which platform 9has a plurality of bores 10 disposed in the same pattern as andcomplementary to the nozzles 5 arranged in the top wall 4 of the boiler3, in order to insert each of the nozzles 5 into a corresponding bore1%} of the platform 9.

A plurality of vertically disposed boards 11 are secured to the platform9 spaced apart from each other at a predetermined distance coordinationwith the bores 10 provided in the platform 9, which boards 11 aredisposed substantially parallel to each other and are equipped withclamping means 12 adapted to suspend the brushes 13, one of which isshown in FIG. 1 of the drawings by the clamping means 12.

Two posts 14 are disposed laterally in substantially vertical direction,which posts 14 are adapted to operate as tracks for a supporting member15. The supporting member 15' comprises two oppositely disposed carriers16 which are equipped with horizontally outwardly projecting pins 17, onwhich upper rollers 18 and lower rollers 19 are rotatably mounted. Theupper rollers 18 are arranged towards the rear portion of the oppositelydisposed carriers 16, while the lower rollers 19 are arranged at themost forward portion of the oppositely disposed carriers 16. By thisarrangement, it is possible to have the rollers 18 run on the rear faceof the posts 14, while the bottom rollers 19 run on the front face ofthe posts 14.

The oppositely disposed carriers 16 are rigidly connected by means of aconnecting bar 20. An arm 21 projects forwardly from each of thecarriers 16 and a plurality of shafts 22 are rotatably mounted across toand between the oppositely disposed arms 21. The shafts 22 are arrangedparallel relative to each other and spaced apart at a distancesubstantially equal with the distance of the boards 11. Each of theshafts 22 has keyed thereto a plurality of rotary brushes 23, the latterbeing axially spaced apart from each other for a distance substantiallyequal with the spaces provided between each pair of adjacent clampingmeans 12 on the boards 11, so that a rotary brush 23 is coordinated toeach hair brush 13 to be cleaned, as will be set forth below.

The shafts 22 project through the arms 21 and carry at their outer endsoutside of the arms 21 a sprocket wheel or belt pulley 24, whereby asingle belt or chain 25 engages each of the sprocket wheels or beltpulleys 24 disposed adjacent each of the arms 21.

One of the arms 21 has secured thereto a horizontally disposed board 26,which carries an electric motor 27 including a motor shaft 28 which hasat its end a pulley or sprocket wheel 29, which drives the belt or chain25 and thereby rotates simultaneously all shafts 22 and, hence allrotary brushes 23.

The motor shaft 28 has an additional pulley or sprocket wheel 30 keyedthereto which drives by means of a belt or chain 31 a pulley or sprocketwheel 32. The latter is keyed to a shaft 33 rotatably mounted betweenthe two opposite carriers 16. Preferably two cam discs 34 are keyed tothe shaft 33, which cam discs 34 are adapted to engage continuouslycorresponding follower rollers 35 rotatably mounted on an axle 36 whichis rigidly secured between the posts 14. The longitudinal axis of theshaft 33 is disposed in a vertical plane extending through thelongitudinal axis of the axle 36.

Due to the continuous engagement of the cam discs 34 with the followerrollers 35, the entire supporting member 15 will be lifted'for a strokewhich is identical with the difference between the smallest radius andthe largest radius of the cam discs 34. Since the follower rollers 35are rotatably, but otherwise immovably mounted on the axle 36, theentire supporting member 15 performs a vertical reciprocating movement,upon starting the electric motor 27, jointly with all of the shafts 22and thus with the rotary brushes 23, the latter being subjectedsimultaneously to rotation. Since each of the rotary brushes 23, being apart of the supporting member 15, performs a vertical reciprocatingmovement, thereby passing over each of the hair brushes 13 coordinatedthereto, the rotary brushes 23 bring about a mechanical cleaning of thehair brushes 13 during such reciprocating substantially verticalmovement. In order to permit such reciprocating substantially verticalmovement, the shafts 22 are assembled or secured to the arms 21 afterextending through the slots 7 of the casing 6 or by any other suitablemeans well known to the men skilled in the art, so that the shafts 22can move in the slots during their reciprocating movement. Sincesimultaneously a sterilization of the hair brushes 13 is desired, thoughsuch sterilization can be obtained independently from the mechanicalcleaning, steam will extend from the nozzles 5 into the casing 6 andmove upwardly along the hair brushes 13 to escape finally through theslots 7 of the casing 6.

During the reciprocating movement of the supporting member 15, thecarriers 16 will move upwardly and downwardly, respectively, along theposts 14, whereby the upper rollers 18 will engage the rear face of theposts 14 and the lower rollers 19 will engage the front face of theposts 14. The cam discs 34 will, during rotation thereof, bring about alifting of the supporting member 15, while the downward or returnmovement is achieved by the weight of the supporting member or unit 15,so that continuous engagement is brought about between the outer face ofthe cam discs 34 and the follower rollers 35.

It is also possible to remove the boards 11 together with the platform9' as one unit and insert the hair brushes 13, while being removed fromthe device, and upon insertion of the platform 9 with its boards 11 intothe casing 6, all hair brushes 13 clamped to the boards 11 can besubjected to the cleaning and sterilization process as set forth above.

In order to obtain simultaneously the mechanical cleaning of the hairbrushes 13 by the rotary brushes 23, as well as the sterilization byescape of the steam, it is possible to operate the electric motor 27 bya thermostat (not shown) in such manner, that the electric motor startsoperation only upon obtaining a predetermined steam temperature, so thatthe mechanical cleaning takes place only after steam has been formed inthe boiler 3. Additionally, a time switch (not shown) can be providedfor the electric motor 27, in order to shut off the operationautomatically after a cleaning operation for any predetermined timeperiod, as for instance, 5 to minutes.

As clearly shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the lowermost position of the carrier16 is shown in full lines in FIG. 2, while the uppermost position isindicated in dotted lines.

While I have disclosed one embodiment of the present invention, it is tobe understood that this embodiment is given by example only and not in alimiting sense, the scope of the present invention being determined bythe objects and the claims.

I claim:

1. A cleaning device for hair brushes or the like, comprising aplatform,

at least two substantially vertical posts disposed laterally at saidplatform,

at least one substantially vertical board mounted on said platform,

means adapted to releasably retain a plurality of hair brushes on saidboard along an imaginary horizontal line spaced apart at a predetermineddistance from each other,

a supporting member including two oppositely disposed carriers connectedby a connecting bar,

said carriers including rollers running along corresponding oppositefaces of said posts and the latter forming tracks for said carriers,

an arm projecting forwardly from each of said carriers,

an electric motor supported by one of said arms,

at least one first shaft disposed crosswise between said arms,

a plurality of rotary brushes keyed to said shaft and axially spacedapart from each other for a distance equal with the distance betweensaid retaining means for said hair brushes,

a second shaft rotatably mounted between said carriers,

at least one cam disc keyed to said second shaft,

an axle rigidly secured between said posts,

the longitudinal axis of said axle being disposed in a substantiallyvertical plane including the longitudinal axis of said second shaft,

a follower roller turnably mounted on said axle and engagingcontinuously the peripheral face of said cam disc,

means for rotating said first shaft and said second shaft by saidelectric motor,

so that upon start of said motor said cam disc and said rotary brushesare subjected to rotation and said entire supporting member performs alifting stroke along said posts by operation of said cam disc and adownward stroke by the weight of said supporting member.

2. The cleaning device, as set forth in claim 1, which includes aplurality of first shafts rotatably mounted in said arms,

and disposed parallel relatively to each other.

3. The cleaning device, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said posts areof rectangular cross-section and having a front face and a rear face,

one of said rollers of said carriers being mounted at its rear portionand another of said rollers being mounted at its front portion and thehorizontal distance between said one of said rollers and said other ofsaid rollers being substantially equal with the distance between saidfront face and said rear face of said posts.

4. The cleaning device, as set forth in claim 1, which includes a base,

a heating body mounted on said base,

a boiler adapted to receive water disposed on top of said heating body,

said boiler having a top plate and a plurality of nozzles projectingfrom said top plate,

a casing mounted on top of said boiler and receiving said verticalboard, so that steam escaping from said boiler through said nozzlespasses said hair brushes releasably retained on said board.

5. The cleaning device, as set forth in claim 4, wherein said platformcarrying said board is removably inserted in said casing, and

said platform having a plurality of bores arranged complementary to thepattern of said nozzles in the top plate of said boiler to guide theescaping steam along said board toward said hair brushes.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

1. A CLEANING DEVICE FOR HAIR BRUSHES OR THE LIKE, COMPRISING APLATFORM, AT LEAST TWO SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL POSTS DISPOSED LATERALLYAT SAID PLATFORM, AT LEAST ONE SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL BOARD MOUNTED ONSAID PLATFORM, MEANS ADAPTED TO RELEASABLY RETAIN A PLURALITY OF HAIRBRUSHES ON SAID BOARD ALONG AN IMAGINARY HORIZONTAL LINE SPACED APART ATA PREDETERMINED DISTANCE FROM EACH OTHER, A SUPPORTING MEMBER INCLUDINGTWO OPPOSITELY DISPOSED CARRIERS CONNECTED BY A CONNECTING BAR, SAIDCARRIERS INCLUDING ROLLERS RUNNING ALONG CORRESPONDING OPPOSITE FACES OFSAID POSTS AND THE LATTER FORMING TRACKS FOR SAID CARRIERS, AN ARMPROJECTING FORWARDLY FROM EACH OF SAID CARRIERS, AN ELECTRIC MOTORSUPPORTED BY ONE OF SAID ARMS, AT LEAST ONE FIRST SHAFT DISPOSEDCROSSWISE BETWEEN SAID ARMS, A PLURALITY OF ROTARY BRUSHES KEYED TO SAIDSHAFT AND AXIALLY SPACED APART FROM EACH OTHER FOR A DISTANCE EQUAL WITHTHE DISTANCE BETWEEN SAID RETAINING MEANS FOR SAID HAIR BRUSHES, ASECOND SHAFT ROTATABLY MOUNTED BETWEEN SAID CARRIERS, AT LEAST ONE CAMDISC KEYED TO SAID SECOND SHAFT, AN AXLE RIGIDLY SECURED BETWEEN SAIDPOSTS, THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID AXLE BEING DISPOSED IN ASUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL PLANE INCLUDING THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAIDSECOND SHAFT, A FOLLOWER ROLLER TURNABLY MOUNTED ON SAID AXLE ANDENGAGING CONTINUOUSLY THE PERIPHERAL FACE OF SAID CAM DISC, MEANS FORROTATING SAID FIRST SHAFT AND SAID SECOND SHAFT BY SAID ELECTRIC MOTOR,SO THAT UPON START OF SAID MOTOR SAID CAM DISC AND SAID ROTARY BRUSHESARE SUBJECTED TO ROTATION AND SAID ENTIRE SUPPORTING MEMBER PERFORMS ALIFTING STROKE ALONG SAID POSTS BY OPERATION OF SAID CAM DISC AND ADOWNWARD STROKE BY THE WEIGHT OF SAID SUPPORTING MEMBER.